Vanilla, the second-most-expensive spice in the world after saffron, is the fruit of an orchid vine. Each vine can produce up to a thousand flowers. The flowers are hand-pollinated, and thinned to allow for sufficient light and air circulation. After pollination, the flowers develop into thin pods (beans), 8-12 inches long. The pods are picked when green, plunged into hot water, and then dried and sweated for up to six months until they turn dark brown and develop vanillin, a crystalline white "frost" on the outside of the bean that gives the bean its flavor and aroma. Then the beans are aged for up to two years, to concentrate the fragrance and flavor.

The majority of the world's vanilla (80 percent) comes from Madagascar and Réunion Island. The extract produced there is often called "Bourbon", not because it's made of bourbon but because Réunion was formerly called Isle de Bourbon. These beans are the sweetest, with a rich flavor.

Mexico also produces vanilla extract; the bean is darker and the flavor more intense.

And then there is Tahitian vanilla. The beans are almost black in color, and though less flavorful are more intensely fragrant.

Of course, this being The Perfect Pantry (which should be renamed the Do You Really Need Three of Everything Pantry), I have each of the main varieties on hand. My favorite Bourbon-type extract is made right next door in Massachusetts. The no-name Mexican vanilla comes courtesy of Cousin Martin, world traveler and primo procurer of good things for my kitchen.

This particular Mama Vanira vanilla, along with some lovely vanilla pods, traveled half way around the world in Martin's suitcase to reach my pantry. Here's his story:

The boat left Tahiti and we overnighted in the harbor of Moorea. Then I took a morning tour into the mountains to include a coconut pineapple plantation and a vanilla plantation. We didn't see the actual production of the liquid vanilla; but they had plants growing around the main buildings in various stages of ripeness on the way to harvest. It was definitely low tech but the Tahitian government was trying to foster relatively small-scale "boutique" Moorean and Tahitian vanilla as a niche product to compete with mass-marketed bourbon vanilla. If memory serves me correctly, this was the site:

After the bridge by the beach, a paved road runs up Moorea's central valley through pasture land, across which Warren Beatty and Annette Bening strolled in their flop movie Love Affair (the scenes with Katharine Hepburn were filmed in the white house on the hill to your right). You can stop at Lycée Agricole d'Opunohu (Opunohu Agricultural School) on the main road (www.formation-agricole-opunohu.org) to see vanilla and other plantations. The pineapple and vanilla plantations are located at or adjacent to the Lycée.

I appreciate the cherry overtone of Tahitian vanilla, as opposed to the spicy/woody taste of Mexican vanilla and the "purer" -- what we call vanilla -- taste of Madagascar Bourbon vanilla.

On that trip I saw an eclipse and the Easter Islands, both of which verge on the spiritual -- but the vanilla was right up there and a great way to start the trip!

Such a great story, and I value my little stash of Tahitian vanilla all the more because of the journey it took to get here.

I'm not much of a baker, but here's one fact I do know: you usually cream the vanilla with the shortening or butter portion of the ingredients, so that the fat encapsulates the vanilla and stabilizes it in the baking process.

And should you be tempted to buy imitation vanilla extract at the supermarket (oh, don't tell me), and then don't know what to do with it because you surely will not want to use it for baking, here's an idea: add a teaspoon or two to a can of paint. It will neutralize the paint smell.

Sea bass with vanilla cream sauce

Adapted from a recipe on La Vanillére, this elegant dish -- a savory use for pure vanilla extract -- serves 4.

Directions

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the fish fillets gently until golden on each side, 3-4 minutes. Remove fish from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. In the same pan, lightly sauté shallots for 1 minute, adding a half teaspoon of olive oil if needed. Add vanilla extract, chicken stock and wine. Stir to combine. Slowly mix in cream, salt and pepper; cook for a few minutes until the sauce is reduced by half. Return the fish to the pan, coat with the cream sauce, and cook for 2 minutes until everything is nicely combined. Serve with jasmine rice.

wonderful post!
had an unexpected, transcendent salad (nothing like an eclipse, or easter isl) at emeril's once - vanilla-shallot vinagrette over butter lettuce. wasn't the same when i made it at home - guessing it's because i own the paint-additive variety?

What great information! Kind of makes the phrase "plain vanilla" seem like a rather uninformed remark! I'm thrilled that you're a Charles Baldwin fan as well. I restock each time I visit the Berkshires, and it's the favorite in my pantry.

Both my wife and I prefer to use pure mexican vanilla for most of what we make. It's readily available here in Texas, though I'm sure it will be harder to find when we move.. But hey, that's what the Internet is for, right?!?

Vanilla extract is so versatile - it can be used in chocolate chip cookies and like you've just made, sea bass! I love the stuff. And we differ because if it came down to chocolate or vanilla, I'd pick vanilla :)

Katie, my cousin has had more than his share of adventures! And that fake stuff -- I'm not a food snob about most things (I am the person who eats Miracle Whip, after all...), but about vanilla extract I'm adamant. No imitation vanilla!

Rupert, you are so right -- and it's especially good with chocolate ice cream, isn't it?

Callipygia, I remember that Top Chef episode, too! At the time I thought it was weird, poaching in vanilla butter on the grill -- oh, I guess the judges thought it was weird, too -- but it did make me think about vanilla and seafood together.

Nora, it's fun to think of pantry items in new ways -- I'm trying to do that more often.

Anh, thank you! I hope you like this variation, too. It's quite mild.

Hillary, I can't believe so many Pantry readers would choose vanilla over chocolate! Maybe I'm the odd one. But I'd choose chocolate chip cookies over most anything....

What a unique flavor combination, I NEVER would have thought to combine vanilla and fish!

Btw, so sorry for not posting about drop and decorate cookies. I really wanted to, but as you can see from the fact that I haven't posted in almost a month, blog time has been at a crazy premium. Sorry for missing the boat on this one!

I got hooked on vanilla while sailing around French Polynesia with my family. We had a lovely young woman who cooked for us, and made a terrific dish of fish (don't remember what kind) with a vanilla sauce. Wow!

Lydia, you forgot to mention that vanilla grows in mauritius too! And my country is Reunion & Madagascar's neighbour:P
I've never thought about using my van. extract in savoury dishes, it must be awesome! Thanks for inspiring me dear friend:)

Ari, I'm definitely looking for more ways to add vanilla to savory dishes, and fish is a good place to start.

Paz, thank you so much.

Caroline, that imitation vanilla should not be in anyone's pantry. It is vile.

Toni, if you find the recipe, please share! I'll bet it was delicious.

Kristen, welcome back!

Kelly-Jane, I always assumed that vanilla was made from bourbon, until I learned more about it.

Kate, sometimes I go for chocolate and vanilla (after all, why should we have to choose?). I'm going to try the vanilla vinaigrette Shawn mentioned in his comment -- I need to think outside the box more, too.

Valentina, I didn't know about Mauritius vanilla! And now, of course, I will be looking for it so I can try it. Tell us more -- is it like the Madagascar vanilla? I'm excited to learn!!

Loved reading this post. I didn't realize that vanilla is the second most expensive spice! Good to know. I love chocolate, but vanilla ice cream has always been my favorite. And freshly made vanilla sugar--heaven!

Sher, I think cardamom is also in the top three of most expensive spices to produce, because they are all (saffron, vanilla, cardamom) harvested by hand. Vanilla sugar is a real treat to have in the pantry, too.

Oh, I am sooooo a vanilla person. Just seeing that bottle of vanilla extract had me smacking my lips. I've only used it in a limited number of savory dishes, but I've been looking for new savory ideas. Thanks for the recipe!

Wow, you have THREE types of vanilla. I'm jealous. I love this recipe, by the way. I just bought a pound of vanilla beans online and they're absolutely gorgeous. I'm looking for new ways to use them, and I love the idea of having vanilla in a savoury dish. When I smell them, the beans conjure up all kinds of scents, not all of which are sweet-based. Thanks for a really informative post.

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Welcome to The Perfect Pantry®

My name is Lydia Walshin. From my tiny kitchen in Boston's South End, I share recipes that use what we keep in our pantries, the usual and not-so-usual ingredients that spice up our lives. Thanks so much for visiting.